Pests are a fact of life. You’ll never be able to get rid of them completely, but you can keep them from coming into your home and making a mess. Here are some ways you can make your home less appealing to pests:
Trim tree branches back from the house
When it comes to pest control, you should also think about tree branches. Tree branches can provide a way for pests to enter your home. Trim back tree branches touching or close to the house and ensure they’re trimmed away from windows and doors.
Inspect your home for cracks and crevices that pests can enter
Inspect your home for cracks and crevices that pests can enter. Look for gaps in between windows and doors, as well as in the foundation. Use caulk to seal up these holes to keep pests out of your home.
Inspect the attic and basement for any evidence of rodents or insects. If you’ve seen signs of pests in these areas, contacting a professional exterminator immediately to get rid of them before they make their way into your living space is best.
Seal up cracks, holes and crevices
- Seal up cracks and holes. A pest’s favourite way of getting into your home is through small spaces, such as holes in walls and baseboards, gaps near pipes, doors that don’t close properly or windows that don’t shut tightly. To keep them out, seal any cracks or openings larger than 1/4″ with caulk or steel wool. You can also use foam to fill larger gaps (but be careful not to use it on electrical outlets).
- Weatherstrip around doors and windows. Pests are always looking for open spaces where they can enter your home—even if those openings are so small you might not think about them at all! For example, rodents like mice and rats often gnaw through the bottoms of doors as well as along their edges to create an opening large enough for entry into your house by chewing off an area of weatherstripping around the door frame itself. Use steel wool instead of foam if there’s no access panel underneath an outlet box where you need to plug something into an outlet—it’ll let air flow through while keeping pests out without compromising safety.
Check your landscaping for points of entry
- Look for holes in the foundation. Pests can enter your home through small gaps around pipes, wires, and other things that stick out from the exterior of a building. They may also get inside via cracks in walls or foundations.
- Check for cracks in walls. Look carefully around windows, doors and other areas where pest entry or exit points might be found. If you find any damaged areas with cracked plaster or wood, seal them as soon as possible with caulk or other materials that can prevent pests from being able to enter through these openings.
Keep a well-manicured yard
There are a few things you can do to make sure your yard is a less attractive place for pests.
- Keep debris, pet food and other food sources out of the yard.
- Don’t leave pet food outside overnight so that it attracts animals during the night.
- If you have any fruit trees or other plants in your yard, keep them trimmed, so they don’t provide hiding places for pests like spiders or ants.
Pest control is not easy, but with the right tools and knowledge, you’ll be able to get rid of pests in no time.